A secondary school has ordered girls to wear trousers to make the uniform gender neutral and to deal with complaints over the decency of short skirts.

Instead of wearing a grey skirt, girls starting at the Priory school in Lewes, East Sussex, this month must wear grey trousers.

The policy was introduced for all students by the school’s headteacher, Tony Smith, to ensure transgender pupils felt included.

The comprehensive’s website states: “From September 2017, all new Priory students will be required to wear our updated uniform. This uniform has been designed specifically in response to the many issues and suggestions raised by parents, students and school staff.

“Specifically, it addresses the current issues of inequality and decency. We hope that it will provide a smart, comfortable and affordable alternative to the current uniform.”

Speaking to the Brighton Argus newspaper, Smith said: “Pupils have been saying why do boys have to wear ties and girls don’t, and girls have different uniform to boys.

“So we decided to have the same uniform for everybody from year 7. Another issue was that we have a small but increasing number of transgender students and therefore having the same uniform is important for them.”

He added that there had been “problems with decency” over how skirts were being worn by students.

One mother critical of the changes told the local newspaper: “My daughter said she has got a gender and it’s female so being gender neutral when she has got a gender is a big deal for her, as she is proud to be a girl.”

Mermaids UK, a charity that supports transgender children and their parents, said it was pleased that the school was embracing diversity.

The chief executive, Susie Green, said: “Mermaids welcomes any initiatives taken by schools to recognise that children and young people are disclosing in increasing numbers degrees of gender variance.

“Adding gender neutral uniforms is one of many simple ways that schools can help any pupils struggling with their gender in any way, plus sends a clear message of acceptance and inclusivity.”

Piers Morgan, who attended the school’s sixth form and now hosts Good Morning Britain, told Mailonline: “It’s disappointing to see one of my old schools getting sucked into this gender neutrality nonsense, which is being driven by a tiny minority of people.

“Let boys be boys and girls be girls, and stop confusing them in this ridiculous way.”